


Epilogue

by leista



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 23:52:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6728374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leista/pseuds/leista
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Destroy ending. </p>
<p>“We’ve got a fighter,” she said with a grim smile as they strapped him down for transport.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Epilogue

“Medic Connolly, we’ve got life signs over here!”

Connolly scrambled up the shifting debris and took in the mangled mass of flesh and bone in front of her with a clinical eye. It wasn’t a person yet. It was a patient. If she saw every bloody mass she’d worked on the past few days after the Citadel had crashed to Earth as a person, all those she couldn’t help, then her legs would buckle under the weight of their deaths.

She would process, and grieve, later, when lives didn’t depend on her keeping herself together and working as quickly and efficiently as possibly.

The patient in front of her was a mess.

A ragged lump of tibia was jutting through the skin, arm at such an odd angle that she knew it was broken in multiple places, and dislocated at the shoulder, the abdomen was a bloody mass of cuts and punctures when a large piece of debris was pulled away.

Countless breaks, a lot of blood loss, but what worried her the most was the abdomen. She suspected a few broken ribs, but she would need to get the patient more advanced help quickly to check for internal damage if there was to be any chance that he would survive.

Each breath wracked through the patient, even after a generous application of medigel and setting the dislocated shoulder, but the breaths stubbornly refused to stop.

“We’ve got a fighter,” she said with a grim smile as they strapped him down for transport.

Then she broke her own rule, her main rule. She looked down at the man’s face, his eyes unfocused, but semi-alert, and she said, “you’ve got this far, don’t you dare die on the way.”

She doubted he even knew she was there, but something had compelled her to speak. She spared a moment to watch the ambulance speed off yet again towards the field hospital, then turned away as she was hailed to check on her newest patient.

 

*

 

The new hospital was makeshift, repurposing an old factory to replace the pile of rubble the reapers had made of the old one, but still better than the field hospital they had dealt with in those first few weeks of recovery.

Connolly was there to see a psychiatrist, nervous though she knew she needed help. The corpses she had seen months before, right after the final battle, kept turning into people in her dreams. People she had been unable to save.

 

She saw a coworker and shared a brief greeting and a sympathetic smile when she admitted why she was there on her day off.

 

“Been considering it m’self, it’s been rough,” his eyes grew distant for a moment before he shook it off, glancing at a patient who was walking the hallway to regain strength. “Luck to you Conno, see you at your next shift,” he clapped her on the shoulder before leaving to go about his duties.

 

But the patient froze and turned to study her.

 

“Conno, as in Connolly?” he asked, voice a tired rasp.

 

She nodded, trying to place his oddly familiar face.

 

“I was told a Connolly saved me on the battlefield, if she hadn’t worked so quickly, I never would have made it,” he said, lips curling in a smile that animated his worn, haggard face, “on a related note, I remember someone ordering me not to die on the way.”

Tears started in her eyes as she flashed back to the bloody mass that the man had been when she had last seen him. “I’m so glad you followed that order,” she said breathily, accepting a quick hug. His still weak arms trembled a little, but he was warm, alive.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, giving her a cheeky salute, then grimacing as he tweaked still-healing injuries, “so am I.” He offered her a hand.

 

“Sam Shepard, pleased to meet you.”

 

“And you,” she said, taking his hand and pretending not to notice the absence of his title.

 

She hadn’t known who he was when she saved him, but everyone knew the name Commander Sam Shepard. He had saved them all.

 

“You saved my life that day,” he said, taking her hand in both of his, “there is no way I can ever repay that.”

 

Connolly snorted, surprising them both, “you saved us from the reapers, I think that’s a good start.”

 

He laughed, a little rueful, “and here I thought I was doing good with my secret identity.”

 

“You might want to leave off the ‘Shepard’ next time,” she said, easing away, aware she was already late for her appointment.

 

“That’s what I’ll do, I’ll change my name,” he said, starting back on his path, “Sam Alenko has a nice ring to it,” he said to himself, heading back for his room because the short exchange had exhausted him.

 

Connolly grinned after him, then headed to her appointment, reminded that, though she hadn’t saved everyone, at least she had saved some. She had made a difference.

 

*

 

“Hey, Shepard.”

 

Sam loved the way Kaidan said his name too much, especially since he hadn’t seen him since the Citadel, to ever change it.

 

“Kaidan,” he said, heavy eyelids sliding open as he reached for his hand. Earlier in the day, he had fallen getting out of bed on his own, instead of calling a nurse, and split open stitches from his most recent surgery. They had upped his pain meds, so he wasn’t as alert as he wanted to be.

 

Fingers laced with his own and soft lips pressed to his forehead, his eyelids, to his own lips.

 

He forced his eyes back open to see Kaidan’s haggard face, his usual five o’clock shadow thickened into a scruff of beard, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, but his eyes were shining and he was smiling.

 

“It’s so good to see you again,” Kaidan said, kissing him again, one hand cradling his face. The beard softer than Sam expected.

 

“I love you,” Sam said against his lips, just in case he was dying, just in case he was dreaming, just in case Kaidan wasn’t there when he woke up.

 

“I love you, too,” Kaidan said, his voice shaking, “I thought I’d lost you, I-” he took a few ragged breaths, lightened his clutching grip on Sam’s face. He started carding his fingers through Sam’s hair, soothing. “We can talk once you’re rested.”

 

Sam distantly heard a chair scraping closer to his bed, two hands came up to cradle one of his.

 

“Kaidan,” he said distantly, fighting as sleep pulled at him.

 

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

 

Sam gave Kaidan’s hand a thankful squeeze, then let sleep drag him under.

 

*

 

Sam studied the man asleep in the chair next to his bed, morning sun sneaking past the cracks in the curtains to shadow him in sharp relief. It wasn’t a dream. He was right there, but still too far away. He ached for him, had missed him more than he had let himself admit in the last few months of his recovery.

 

He wanted to get as close as possible to Kaidan, hold on tight, and never let go. He searched for an eloquent way to put those feelings into words.

 

“I want you to fuck me,” he whispered. Close enough.

 

“That can be arranged,” Kaidan said, stretching in the chair to loosen stiff muscles. “You thought I was asleep didn’t you?”

 

“In that chair, not likely,” Sam said with a huffed laugh, feeling himself blush.

 

“You whisper such sweet, sweet nothings when you think I’m not listening,” Kaidan said, teasing.

 

Sam shrugged. “I figured it was more up tempo than saying that living without you, without knowing if you were okay, was like living with a gaping hole in my chest.” He looked away.

 

A hand moved to cradle his face, and Sam found himself staring into Kaidan’s soft, warm eyes at close range. “I know the feeling, Shepard. When I thought you were...I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t believe it. Call it instinct, or delusion, but I knew you couldn’t be gone.”

 

Sam pressed Kaidan’s hand harder to his face, let his eyes drift closed as Kaidan leaned down and kissed him. Then their foreheads were pressed together and they were breathing the same air.

 

“I want you to bend me over this bed and fuck me ‘til sundown,” Sam said softly, caressing Kaidan’s jawline with delicate fingers.

 

Kaidan reeled back and laughed, a real laugh with mirth crinkling the corners of his eyes and making them shine. He was beautiful.

 

“You’re such a romantic,” Kaidan said before dropping back into his chair and taking Sam’s hand. They couldn’t stop touching. It was reassuring, it reminded them both that this was really real, that they were actually together. “But I’m not going to set back your recovery. We’re not doing that until we have clearance.”

 

“So I’m going to have to ask for doctor’s permission to fuck my boyfriend?” The word sounded odd, though it shouldn’t. Kaidan was more than that, so much more, but love of his life and soulmate sounded so cheesy.

 

Kaidan nodded. “Yes.”

 

Sam huffed out a sigh, but he was too content with Kaidan at his side for it to sound anything but fake.

 

“Tell you what,I’m sure we can find some way to...improvise in the meantime.”

 

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Sam said, grinning at Kaidan’s exasperation. He was leaning out of bed, unfastening Kaidan’s pants when a sharp knock on the door, then a nurse walking inside startled them both.

 

“I’m going to kill you,” Kaidan hissed, fastening his pants quickly as the nurse pretended not to notice.

 

“It was your idea,” Sam whispered back.

 

“It was not-” he snapped, then spoke politely to the nurse as if nothing odd had happened.

 

After the nurse had checked Sam over and left, he watched Kaidan stride over to the door and lock it.

 

“What are you doing, Kaidan?” he asked, voice warm.

 

“Thanks to you, I have the embarrassment, might as well have the fun.”

 

“Good man,” Sam said with a chuckle, smiling warmly when Kaidan eyed him reproachfully. “It’s been too long since I’ve touched you.” He shifted over and patted the bed next to him.

 

Kaidan had his shirt off and pants opened up before Sam could do more than stare. “Just wanted to make things easy on you,” he said, almost shyly.

 

“I’d rather you be hard on me,” Sam deadpanned.

 

Kaidan’s annoyed huff turned into a gasp as Sam palmed him through his underwear, teasing. Then he slid both hands up Kaidan’s waist, his chest, and curled one around his neck, tangling the other in his hair.

 

He tried to put his feelings into the kiss, better than he could ever do with words.

 

Kaidan panted against his lips when he pulled away. “I love you, too,” he said softly, running gentle fingers along his cheek, down his neck.

 

Sam’s heart melted at Kaidan’s smile. The other man rarely had trouble understanding him, even when he had trouble getting his feelings across. It was an amazing thing, being understood and accepted in such a way. 

 

He leaned the wrong way and grimaced, fresh stitches pulling uncomfortably. Kaidan’s arm was around his shoulders’ supporting, in a moment. “What’s wrong?” he sighed, “this was a bad idea.”

 

Sam swatted away his support, “no it wasn’t, I need this, Kaidan, just give me a moment.” he shifted on the bed, then kissed away Kaidan’s argument once he was comfortable. He let his hands roam over Kaidan’s body reverently, savoring every touch, every little hitch of breath and sigh he got out of Kaidan.

 

He eventually let his hand roam lower again, freeing Kaidan’s erection from his underwear and stroking him. He kept up a steady pace as Kaidan’s breathing grew staggered, as his head dropped onto his shoulder, low moans stifled against his collarbone making his uncomfortable hard cock twitch with need.

 

Kaidan tangled a hand in his hair and kissed him as he came, arching into his touch, a slight blue glow sliding over his skin, making Sam’s lips tingle. Kaidan was breathing raggedly into their kiss as come splattered over Sam’s hand. He leaned back and studied him, suddenly regretful, blue glow fading as he regained control. “Are you alright, you didn’t-”

 

“I’m fine, Kaidan,” Sam said, then grinned mischievously. He watched Kaidan’s eyes follow his tongue as he licked his hand clean. “Good to know I could make you come with one hand tied behind my back, y’know, in case it ever comes up.”

 

Kaidan shook his head, then gently pushed Sam back to lay flat on the bed. “My turn,” he said, eyes dark and almost predatory, “No tensing up, Shepard, I mean it,” Kaidan said, “I’m not going to risk setting back your recovery.”

 

“Neither am I,” Sam promised, “there are too many things I want to do to you that require full functionality for that.” He made himself relax back onto the bed, watching as Kaidan gingerly explored his recovering body.

 

“God, Shepard, it’s a miracle you survived,” he said softly, not quite touching a long line of scar tissue across his abdomen, and other smaller slices from earlier surgeries.

 

“You should see the other guy,” Sam said dryly.

 

“Yeah, they all...exploded,” Kaidan said, dropping his head to run lips along the long scar. He avoided still-tender areas in his exploration. His voice was like a balm, slow, soothing, his hands sliding over tensing muscles in warning when Sam started to lose control.

 

Sam focused on relaxing, losing himself in that voice, then to the feel of those lips wrapped around his cock. He tangled a hand in Kaidan’s hair and was spent in moments, the room spinning with his heady release.

 

Kaidan scooted back up to his side, ruffling a hand through his hair. “Are you okay?”

 

“Hm?” Sam tried to fight back the vertigo, “Give me a second, let gravity re-assert itself and I’ll let you know.”

 

Kaidan chuckled, warm and satisfied, “I’ve never broken gravity before. Is that a good or bad thing?”

 

“Good, very good,” Sam said, then pulled Kaidan down for a slow, languid kiss, contentment blooming in his chest. I missed you so much. I love you. I know I can do anything now that you’re here with me. “I’m glad you showed up,” he said.

 

Kaidan laced their fingers together, resting their hands on his own knee. “I would have been here sooner, but it took a while to get the relays back up and running.” He lifted Sam’s hand to his lips briefly. “It feels so good to be exactly where I want to be.”

 

Sam took in a deep breath and let it out, easing a coil of tension he hadn’t even known was there. “So, there’s no getting rid of you now?”

 

“Nope,” Kaidan said, letting out a contented sigh, “you’re stuck with me.”

 

“Good,” Sam said with a grin, “because I really need you to help me get up and take a piss, and I can’t promise this’ll be the only time.”

 

“Ever the romantic,” Kaidan said, feigning exasperation and offering him a hand up.

 

Sam took his hand. “You can read me like a book.”

 

The look that Kaidan gave him pierced him to the core, seeing beyond his words, loving and accepting, but still a little frightening.  “I know,” he said softly, gently wrapping him in his arms, “and damned if you’re not a compelling read.”


End file.
